The present invention relates to a drainage tube indwelling device for indwelling a drainage tube, which is used to drain secreted liquid remaining inside a human body to outside the human body, in the human body it has been known that, when a bile duct is narrowed or clogged, bile secreted from the deep recess thereof may not be drained, and jaundice is caused. In such a case, a distal end of a relatively long drainage tube is inserted in Vater""s papilla, which is an end portion of a bile duct toward a duodenum using an endoscope, and indwell the drainage tube with the proximal end of the drainage tube located outside the body of the patient through the nose.
If the Vater""s papilla is suffered from cancer or the like, the drainage tube may not be inserted therein since the tissue is hardened or deformed. Thus, in such a case, the jaundice cannot be endoscopically treated to lighten the same.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved drainage tube indwelling device which enables indwelling of the drainage tube regardless of the condition of the narrowed portion.
For the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a drainage tube indwelling device for an endoscope, which is provided with: a drainage tube formed of electrically insulating flexible material, the drainage tube being longer than a length of a treatment insertion channel of the endoscope, the drainage tube being slidably inserted in the treatment insertion channel;
a guide wire formed of electrically conductive material, the guide wire being longer than the drainage tube, the guide wire being slidably inserted in the drainage tube, a distal end portion of the guide wire being able to protrude from a distal end of the drainage tube;
a connector that connects the guide wire with a high-frequency power source; and
a fixing device capable of fixing the drainage tube with respect to the guide wire.
Firstly, the drainage tube is located at a target position with the guide wire inserted therein. Then, the guide wire, which is protruded from a drainage tube, is energized with a high-frequency current to transfix the target position (i.e., the inner wall of the human cavity). Then, the drainage tube is indwelled such that the tip end thereof is located at the deep recess of the transfixed portion. Therefore, regardless of the narrowed portion, the secreted liquid can be drained outside, and an excellent treatment effect can be obtained.
Optionally, the connector and the fixing device are integrally formed and provided at a proximal end of the drainage tube.
Further optionally, the drainage tube indwelling device may be provided with an electrically insulating flexible tube provided between the proximal end portion of the drainage tube to a proximal end of the guide wire. By the flexible tube, a portion of the guide wire located between the proximal end of the drainage tube and the proximal end of the guide wire is prevented from being exposed to outside. The fixing device may be constituted to fix/release the drainage tube, the guide wire and the flexible tube with each other.
Alternatively, the fixing device may be constituted to fix/release only the drainage tube and the guide wire. In this case, an operation unit may be provided for moving the fixing device in an axial direction of the drainage tube.
In particular, the operation unit may include a stationary unit to be secured at an inlet of the insertion channel of the endoscope, and a slider unit which is slidable with respect to the stationary unit and drives the fixing device to move in the axial direction.
Still optionally, an indicating system may be provided for indicating a positional relationship between the drainage tube and the guide wire in an axial direction thereof.
If the distal end of the guide wire is formed to be sharp-pointed, the insertion channel may be broken when the guide wire proceeds inside the insertion channel. In order to avoid such a problem, there is provided a drainage tube indwelling device for an endoscope, provided with:
a drainage tube;
a guide wire that is to be inserted in the drainage tube, the drainage tube being inserted in an accessory insertion channel of the endoscope with the guide wire inserted;
an adjustment member for adjusting a positional relationship between the drainage tube and the guide wire in an axial direction; and
an indicating system for indicating a positional relationship between the drainage tube and the guide wire in the axial direction.
Since the protruded amount of the distal end portion of the guide wire can be adjusted, the protruded/retracted amount of the distal end portion can be recognized. Therefore, when the drainage tube indwelling device is inserted in a treatment accessory insertion channel of the endoscope, retraction of the end portion of the guide wire can be confirmed, and the insertion channel may not be damaged by the tip of the end portion even if it is sharp-pointed.
Optionally, the indicating system includes an indication mark provided on the guide wire. Alternatively or optionally, the indication mark may be provided on the drainage tube.
Further optionally, the drainage tube indwelling device may be provided with a transparent tube member on a proximal end side of the adjusting mechanism. The transparent tube functions to cover the proximal end portion of the guide wire, and further a positional relationship between the drainage tube and the guide wire is observable since the proximal ends of the guide wire and the drainage tube can be observed through the transparent tube.
In this case, the indication mark can be provided on the transparent tube.
Optionally, a pusher tube may be provided on the proximal end side of the drainage tube. The pusher tube may be fitted on the guide wire, and the distal end thereof may contact the proximal end of the drainage tube. The adjustment mechanism may adjust the positional relationship of the pusher tube with respect to the guide wire. In such a constitution, the indication mark may be provided on the guide wire, transparent tube, or pusher tube.